Is It Bad to Sleep On Your Stomach: What You Need to Know About a Good Night’s Sleep

There are so many different factors that can influence our sleep quality, and most of us understand that sleeping in an uncomfortable position will leave us struggling to get a good night’s rest. However, a critical question stands for those of us who sleep on our stomachs: is it bad to sleep on your stomach? Today, we’ll be answering this key question so you can find out more about the best way to sleep for your overall health and wellbeing – and, critically, what this might mean for your sleep patterns going forward.

Is it Bad to Sleep On Your Stomach?

Is it bad to sleep on your stomach? We all have our preferred sleeping styles and positions – however, for a substantial number of people, the ideal sleeping position may not always be the one we’re following.

Indeed, as many as 7% of people sleep on their stomach as the most comfortable sleeping position for them. While this is definitely a minority, it’s still a substantial number of people worldwide - potentially around 500 million people, based on estimated population of 7.753 billion people globally. And, of course, finding a sleeping position that you consider comfortable is vital if you’ve been trying to drift off to sleep more easily.

However, there’s a critical consideration to be had here: sleeping on your stomach may aggravate several health conditions. So, while you might feel like it’s easy to fall asleep when sleeping on your stomach, this may not be a good position to sleep in if you’ve been trying to stay healthy and well.

Why is it Bad to Sleep On Your Stomach?

It’s not always clear why sleeping on your stomach is bad, and this means that many people still sleep on their stomachs every night. However, there could be numerous potential complications associated with sleeping on your stomach every night.

Pressure on the Spine

The most notable challenge associated with sleeping on your stomach is that it places unnecessary pressure on your spine. If you wake up most mornings with a slightly stiff back, sleeping on your stomach may be the cause – and that’s because most of your weight is found in the middle of your body. In turn, this places undue stress around the small of your back and your spine, resulting in your spine getting strained overnight. However, for a truly restful night’s sleep, ideally, you want to keep your spine in a neutral, comfortable position – which may be hard to achieve.

Awkward Neck Angle

Another significant issue associated with sleeping on your stomach is that it places undue pressure on your neck. This might seem odd, but consider it this way: when you sleep on your front, you sleep with your head turned; otherwise, you would be breathing directly into the pillow. This almost ninety-degree angle is quite extreme on your neck and can cause your neck and spine to become out of alignment, resulting in significant neck pain and potentially even a herniated disk.

Complications During Pregnancy

Another common issue to consider is that sleeping on your stomach during pregnancy could place significant pressure on both your back and spine and your baby. As the pregnancy progresses, you may find that sleeping on your stomach becomes much less possible; however, during early and mid-pregnancy, this can still be a common mistake that many women inadvertently make.

What’s more, research suggests that sleeping on your side during pregnancy, rather than sleeping on your front, could help encourage healthy circulation and blood flow, helping you sleep better overall while promoting your baby’s wellbeing and development. Moreover, the same study even found that poor sleep quality and disordered breathing during sleep may also increase the risks of stillbirth, so the importance of considering alternative sleeping positions cannot be stressed highly enough.

What if I Roll Onto my Stomach While Asleep?

One common concern that many people have after learning that it’s potentially dangerous to sleep on their stomach is in relation to their nightly activities. Indeed, while it’s not impossible to learn how to fall asleep in a different position, controlling how you sleep at night may be much harder. With this thought in mind, even after shifting to a different position to fall asleep, many people still wake up on their front.

Well, there’s nothing much you can do about this other than trying to prop yourself in one position with cushions, pillows, or covers. However, a short duration of sleeping on your front shouldn’t be a major concern for most people. Indeed, even if you accidentally shift onto your front while asleep, you’ll likely find that you’ll spend a considerable amount of the night in other positions. This may allow more time for your spine to rest and recover, reducing the risks associated with sleeping on your front.

Hopefully, this section will have clarified why it’s bad to sleep on your stomach. And while the odd night may not do too much damage, sleeping on your stomach every night could lead to long-term injuries. As such, it’s worth considering whether you could learn to sleep a little differently instead; a gradual change to a different sleeping method can be the easiest transition to follow.

How to Switch to a Healthier Sleeping Position

Generally speaking, it is often believed that sleeping on your back may be the safest sleeping position rather than sleeping on your front or your stomach. However, no sleeping position is without risks. However, if you want to switch from sleeping on your stomach to a healthier sleeping position – on your back or side – the following tips may help.

• Start by transitioning to sleeping on your side. Sleeping on your side allows for a more gradual transition than immediately trying to sleep on your back.

• Get used to resting on your back or side at a time when you’re not pressured to sleep. For example, spend an hour or so before bed simply relaxing in your chosen position, which may help you get accustomed to the feel of this new sleeping position.

• Add pillows and cushions to help replicate the feel of sleeping on your stomach when sleeping on your side. This change may help make you feel a little more “normal” when sleeping on your side, hopefully making it easier to drift off to sleep.

5 Key Tips for a More Restful Night’s Sleep

Many people sleep on their front because they struggle to fall asleep in other positions – and, to a degree, this may be a learned habit. However, the cause could also be a little different, and you may find that your difficulties sleeping are actually due to other factors instead.

What’s more, if you still wake up with a sore neck or spine after sleeping, it’s worth considering whether you could make changes to get a more restful night’s sleep and reduce the amount you toss and turn overnight.

Some key tips for a more restful night’s sleep include:

1. Turn off devices (or switch devices onto night mode) at least one hour before bed to allow time for melatonin production in your body. Melatonin is the sleep hormone and is a significant part of what makes us feel tired; unfortunately, white light from our devices interferes with its natural production.

2. Try to incorporate soothing, slow-tempo sleep music into your nightly routine to help settle your heart rate and make it easier to fall asleep. When your heart rate slows, it’s much easier to feel calm and free from stress

3. A comfy mattress and pillow are crucial. Ideally, you should look for a mattress and pillow that provides suitable support for your spine and neck, respectively (especially if you’ve been waking up feeling sore or stiff).

4. Cut out any environmental distractions (such as light or outside noise) that could be hindering your ability to get a restful sleep! This simple change may go a long way towards supporting your recovery and allowing you to sleep well at night.

5. If sleeping with a partner, try to ensure you and your partner go to bed at the same time each night. This helps ensure that you aren’t disturbed when your partner climbs into bed, allowing you to get a deeper night’s sleep (and reducing the chances of tossing and turning).

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been looking for ways to enjoy a more restful night’s sleep, we hope today’s guide will have helped. Indeed, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to planning a good night’s sleep, and no matter our best efforts, sometimes, these things can’t be helped. For example, if you roll over to sleep on your stomach during the night, you won’t necessarily know about that or be able to stop it. However, learning to fall asleep on your back or side may put significantly less pressure on your spine and neck, which could help you enjoy a more restful night’s sleep on the whole and – critically – wake up feeling refreshed and revitalized.